Stride Plus to organise startup and SMB summit this month
dubai — Dubai’s demand for business networking events and the small-and-medium business (SMB) market segment are both fast growing.
In response to this trend and bridging the gap between the numerous small-scale ‘business meetups’ and elaborate trade shows, Stride Plus Conferences and Seminars Organizing LLC (Stride Plus), will be curating the Dubai Startup and SMB Summit 2018, this September.
The Dubai Startup and SMB Summit 2018 will be a one-day summit, catered towards small and medium business owners, investors and deci- sion makers in the region. A footfall of over 250+ companies is expected in their first edition of the event, scheduled for the 12th of September 2018 at Dusit Thani Hotel, SZR.
The event is intended to cover a diverse range of topics ranging from technologies such Cloud Technology, IoT, blockchain and cryptography to social trends such as smart cities, Emiratisation of local workforces and the empowerment of women in business.
“As per statistics shared by Dubai SME and Dubai Statistics Centre earlier in the year, small and medium sized businesses contribute to over 47 per cent of Dubai’s GDP and employs more than half of its workforce. 52.4 per cent to be precise,” says Stride Plus’ co-founder, Shaumik Saha, when asked why he is so interested in the SMB segment in Dubai.
“When you put those number into perspective you come to find that this segment of the market — small and medium businesses — have a larger structural and monetary impact on the regional economy than most people think. Our event is being curated to empower and provide a platform for this segment to network, voice opinions and innovate.”
Noticeable speaker appearances will include Liaqat Ali — one of the founding members of Emirates Airlines, Emirates Bank Group and Network International (now ENBD) and Noor Bank; and Gustavo Montero — ex-executive director at Standard Chartered Bank and director of GAM Consulting Group. Besides the primary agenda of keynote sessions and panel discussions, a mini-expo will allow B2B service providers to showcase products and services to the attendees, primarily business-owners and decision makers of Dubaibased SMB companies. When asked what their vision of the event is in the mid-term, founders, Shaumik and Biswajit agree that they expect to position the Dubai Startup and SMB Summit 2018 as the largest B2B networking event for small and medium business owners in Dubai, in two years’ time.